MBA Rankings - Canada

An in-depth look at the rankings of Canadian MBA programs and some background on the ranked business schools in the country

With its broad range of cities and industries, not to mention liberal visa policies, Canada is a popular destination for international students looking to study for an MBA.

A handful of top schools in the country are currently featured in a few top international MBA rankings. Canada hosts a number of world-class, accredited business schools; here’s an overview of the Canadian business schools offering ranked Full-Time MBA programs, with a focus on the rankings from Bloomberg Businessweek, The Economist, and the Financial Times.

Western University - Ivey Business School: Overview and rankings

Established in 1950, Ivey Business School is located in London, Ontario, which is about 200 kilometers by car from Toronto, which is Canada’s financial hub. In addition to offering a one-year long Full-Time MBA program that begins in March, the school also offers an Executive MBA program and an Accelerated MBA for graduates of the school’s undergraduate business program. Ivey also runs an EMBA program out of its Hong Kong campus.

As of 2018, Ivey’s Full-Time MBA is currently ranked at position number 11 in Bloomberg Businessweek’s International MBA Ranking, meaning that it’s currently the highest ranked of all Canadian business schools in that publication. In this ranking, it’s fallen rather precipitously since 2015, when it was ranked as the top school in the world outside of the United States.

Ivey is also ranked in the Global MBA Ranking from the Financial Times, with grads reporting the highest salaries of all Canadian MBA programs that are ranked in that publication. Additionally, Ivey is the top-ranked Canadian business school in the current Full-time MBA Ranking from The Economist.

The high salaries—the MBA class of 2017 reported, on average, salaries of over $103,000 CAD—are not surprising, considering the industries that the grads are going into. Of the class of 2017, 31 percent went into the consulting industry—working for firms like KPMG and the Boston Consulting Group—and 28 percent went into financial services. Other major recruiters include Amazon, Deloitte, Johnson & Johnson, BMO Financial Group, and Accenture, among others.

Of the Full-Time MBA class of 2017, the vast majority (95 percent), landed jobs in Canada.

Ivey’s Executive MBA program is also ranked by the Financial Times.

Queen’s University - Smith School of Business: Overview and rankings

Also located in Ontario, Canada, Queen’s University’s business school was founded in 1963. In addition to its Full-Time MBA program, Queen’s offers a range of other master’s-level programs in business.

In terms of rankings, Queen’s is currently ranked 16th—second best among all Canadian business schools—in Bloomberg Businessweek’s International MBA Ranking. It’s also the second-best Canadian business school in the current Full-Time MBA Ranking from The Economist.

The school was also previously ranked in the Global MBA Ranking from the Financial Times, but it fell out of this ranking in 2018.

According to the school, the average salaries of its 2016 and 2017 MBA grads was just over $109,000 CAD. Of these classes, almost one-third went into the financial services industry, while 24 percent went into consulting. Technology firms like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Uber, were also major recruiters.

Although the school has published a detailed employment report for its 2016 MBA graduates, it has not done so for its class of 2017.

The school’s EMBA Americas program, which it runs in partnership with Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, is also ranked in the Executive MBA Ranking from the FT.

University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management: Overview and rankings

The University of Toronto’s business school was established in 1950, in downtown Toronto. Beyond its Full-Time MBA, the also offers a range of part-time and Executive MBA options.

In the FT’s Global MBA Rankings, Rotman’s MBA is currently ranked number 86, which, in that publication, makes it the second-highest ranked of all Canadian business schools (after McGill.) In this ranking, it’s been on a steady decline in recent years; it was ranked 44th in 2012 and 60th in 2016, for example.

In Businessweek’s International MBA Ranking, Rotman is currently ranked 22nd.

The school has long been strong in financial services placements; that’s no surprise, since the school is based in Canada’s financial capital. Over 43 percent of Rotman’s MBA class of 2017 went into this industry, as did 37 percent of the class of 2016. Consulting firms generally snap up around one-fifth of a given MBA class.

The school reports that the average salaries of its 2017 MBAs were over $120,000 CAD per year.

The school’s EMBA program is also ranked by the FT.

McGill University - Desautels Faculty of Management: Overview and rankings

Founded in 1906—when it was the Department of Commerce—McGill’s business school has been offering MBA programs in Montreal since 1963. It currently offers a Full-Time MBA, as well as an Executive MBA in partnership with HEC Montreal and a range of other master’s programs in business.

Coming in at position number 78, McGill Is currently the top-ranked MBA in Canada in the Global MBA Ranking from the Financial Times.

In the Bloomberg Businessweek International MBA Ranking, McGill is currently ranked 28.

In terms of salaries, McGill’s MBA class of 2017 landed jobs with a mean of just over $93,000 CAD, according to the school. The majority of the class (87 percent) found jobs in Canada.

Ryerson University - Rogers School of Management: Overview and rankings

Ryerson’s Rogers School of Management is another Toronto-based Canadian business school, which launched its Full-Time MBA programs in 2006. The business school is one of over 20 business schools in Canada that are accredited by AACSB International.

Newly listed in the most recent International MBA Ranking from Bloomberg Businessweek, Ryerson is currently ranked at position number 24 in that publication.

According to the school, its MBAs make just over $109,000 CAD per year, after graduation. One-fifth of the school’s grads tend to go into the consulting sector, 17 percent into technology firms, and 15 percent go into finance. A healthy number of Ryerson MBAs also go into the consumer packaged goods sector and healthcare as well.

HEC Montréal - Overview and rankings

Although HEC Montréal is a French-language business school, it is also increasingly offering English-language programs. It currently offers its Full-Time MBA—in either French or English—as well as an EMBA in partnership with McGill and another MBA aimed at engineers. The school is one of only two business schools in Canada that are ‘triple-accredited;’ meaning, it has accreditations from AMBA, EQUIS, and AACSB.

HEC Montréal is currently ranked at position number 31 in the International MBA Ranking from Bloomberg Businessweek.

According to the school, its MBA class of 2016 found jobs making over $81,000 CAD, on average. The school has not published its 2017 MBA career salary data.

York University - Schulich School of Business - Overview and rankings

This Toronto-based school first launched an MBA in 1965, and has been growing its offerings ever since. It currently offers an MBA, and International MBA, plus several other master’s-level business offerings and an MBA in India.

Schulich is currently ranked 69th in the Full-Time MBA Ranking from The Economist, which makes it the second-highest Canadian business school featured in that ranking. It was also previously ranked in the Global MBA Ranking from the Financial Times, but fell out of that ranking in 2015.

According to the school, the graduates of its most recent MBA class made almost $92,000 CAD per, on average. A good chunk (28 percent) of the school’s MBAs go into the financial services sector.

The Executive MBA that Schulich runs in partnership with Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management is also currently ranked in the Executive MBA Ranking from the Financial Times.